I had these made for the trip. I have about 200 more…want one?

To say that this is a special episode of the LAMBcast would be one of the larger understatements that I could make in this space.  It’s also one of the more unconventional shows we’ve had.

I really can’t recall at the moment whose idea it was to have a LAMB meetup in Las Vegas, but I do know that once the idea was in my head (well over a year ago), I ran with it and ran hard.  Very quickly, the notion to hold it during Oscars weekend came and thus, we had a date.  For the past year, I’ve been screaming from the rooftops (aka Twitter, Facebook, this podcast, and the LAMB Forums, amongst other places) for any and all interested parties to join in on the festivities.  Of which there weren’t all that many, but I’ll get to that in a second.

Interest was pretty high (if unsteady) early on, as I compiled a list of approximately 30 LAMBs who were keen on coming.  For a variety of reasons, that number ended up dwindling – and we almost lost two more thanks to a last-minute storm – but we ended up with 14 people (LAMBs and significant others combined) for the trip, thanks in large part to the gang from French Toast Sunday, who numbered seven in all.  Also along for the fun were LAMBcast regulars (and real-life podcast partners – and since January 1, website partners) Jason Soto (formerly of Invasion of the B Movies) and Nolahn (formerly of the Bargain Bin Review, now together with Jason and LAMBcast co-host Nick Jobe at Your Face), as well as my website partner and good friend Kai Parker.

The official events on the docket were scheduled on Saturday and Sunday.  First, we gathered for a group dinner and get-to-know-you session at Margaritaville, the flagship restaurant of our de facto home base, the Flamingo, with the rest of the night filled with gabbing, gambling and guzzling. 

On Sunday morning, we took to Nolahn’s suite at the Jockey Club for “Podcast Row,” which ended up being less row-ish and more group podcasting, as we all watched (and participated) in each other’s shows.  It was an event that, prior to attending, I think we were all worried about seeing it running too long and taking up too much of our day, but I had a blast.  It was capped off by the LAMBcast that you see here – I never did nail down my plan for the show as well as I wanted to, but I’m happy with the end result: 12 people (!) discussing the LAMB, movies, our personal lives, Las Vegas, and more.  It gets a bit crazy here and there, but it’s short and sweet.

Jason and Nolahn (with his LAMB ears on, naturally) doing a live Lair of the Unwanted!

Finally, it was time for the Oscars, which we were attending at a viewing party being held by a swanky nightclub (in their pre-late night off hours, more or less) inside the Bellagio.  Their drink prices were steep, but the atmosphere was great, making four hours staring at a screen an eventful evening. 

I can’t speak for everyone, but the general impression I got from the weekend is that we all wished it had lasted for a few days more – not for the gambling or boozing (honestly, I think we were all pretty tame considering the location), but just to hang out more and get to know each other a bit better.  I know I’m ready to go back right now. 

To that end, planning for the next meetup is already in the works over at the LAMB Forums.  Come join in on the conversation (where should we go?  New Orleans?  Chicago?  Duluth?) and, more importantly, come join us next time.  It’s gonna be a blast, wherever and whenever it is.

A few notes:

* The show can be found, of course, via iTunes – just do a search for “LAMBcast.” Also, I always post a link to the show on the LAMBcast’s Facebook page, and there’s a player there if you’d like to listen online. The direct RSS feed is: http://lambcast.podomatic.com/rss2.xml

* Shows will eventually make their way to the LAMBcast Archives. If you’d ever like to catch up on back episodes, go there.

* If you’re interested, you too can be a LAMBcaster – we love new blood! For more information on the LAMBcast, check out the topic at the LAMB Forums. Music provided royalty-free by Kevin MacLeod’s Incompetech website. Big thanks to Kevin for providing this service. Opening song by Cake. The LAMBcast loves feedback, too – if you’d like yours read on a future show, leave it in the comments section at the LAMB. Please visit and like our Facebook page, and finally, we’re on iTunes, and would still love a review, even if it’s a bad one.

Thanks for listening!

Tags: French Toast Sunday, LAMBmeetup, Las Vegas, Man I Love Films, Your Face